Esmeron® is the most commonly prescribed muscle relaxant in the USA, Canada and most European countries. It acts by blocking the passage of impulses between nerves and muscles. Not all operations require the use of muscle relaxants (also known as neuromuscular blocking agents), but these agents are very important in enabling intricate surgery to be carried out at a light depth of anesthesia without patient movements. This allows the patient to recover more rapidly even after long and complicated operations.

As muscle relaxants induce total paralysis, patients given such drugs must be intubated (the placement of a tube into the airway to allow artificial ventilation). Esmeron’s rapid onset of action allows this procedure to be carried out very quickly, approximately 1 minute after administration of the drug, compared with 2-3 minutes for most other modern muscle relaxants. This minimizes the risks to the patient. The only drug with a comparable onset of action is suxamethonium, however this drug is associated with serious side effects. As an alternative to suxamethonium, Esmeron is the only muscle relaxant licensed for rapid sequence induction (a technique used to induce anaesthesia in emergency situations). Esmeron is also licensed for use in intensive care units and for cesarean sections.

Esmeron has an intermediate duration of action and rapid recovery characteristics. It is an extremely flexible drug allowing patients to be brought out of relaxation quickly if necessary, and also allows safe repeated administration if relaxation needs to be extended. Esmeron also displays cardiovascular stability (having little or no effect on the heart rate and blood pressure) and virtually no histamine release or other side effects, all maximizing patient safety.

In 1994 Organon launched the product in the USA, as Zemuron. It has since been registered in 79 countries worldwide, under the name Esmeron, and is available in doses of 50 mg and 100 mg for injection.